Chapter 187
The sky began to ripple in response to Saint Israfil's flute performance.
It resembled waves, like a tide swelling. The undulating sky gradually began to manifest a certain scene in its entirety.
"Lady Israfil is also known by the title 'Master of the Divine Sea'."
Lete, with hands clasped and a look of rapture, gazed up at the sky and spoke.
"Master of the Divine Sea?"
"Yes."
The rippling sky, to everyone's astonishment, began to transform into a vast ocean.
Ripples appeared across the surface.
Fish splashed and darted above the surface. The Divine Sea creatures, unlike any fish found on the continent, had wings instead of fins and bore entirely different forms and colors. Some resembled dolphins but were much larger in size.
Splash! Splash!
Swaaaaaa—
Everyone stared up at the sky in a daze, utterly overwhelmed by the surreal, overwhelming spectacle that no living soul had ever witnessed before.
As if gravity had been reversed, the sea now floated in the sky, and not a single droplet fell back down.
It was as if two different worlds were gazing at one another. If you spaced out for even a moment, it became impossible to tell which was the real ground.
'…Goddamn it!'
Only one person knew what was about to unfold, Leight ground his teeth.
'She's going to erase all the evidence!'
Israfil's flute performance reached its climax.
At the center of the vast Divine Sea, a massive black shadow emerged. The fish, which had been swimming peacefully together, suddenly scattered in all directions. And then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A white whale, so massive that its size was beyond comprehension, large enough to rival a city, leapt from the Divine Sea.
With a brilliant white body, shimmering scales, and countless wings, the whale passed the surface of the sea and descended from the sky toward the ground.
"Lete!"
At the same time Simon lunged forward, the Sky Whale descended from the Divine Sea and devoured the headquarters of the Blood Heaven Cult.
KRACKKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKANG!!
Water and mud splattered in every direction. The gaping maw of the whale swallowed the entire Blood Heaven Cult's headquarters whole, then turned back and soared into the sky where the Divine Sea floated.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!"
Leight clutched his head and screamed in frustration.
The whale safely returned to the Divine Sea, and by the time everyone who had been lying flat on the ground lifted their heads, not a single trace of the Blood Heaven Cult's headquarters remained.
Float, float.
Then, bubble-like orbs began to fall from the surface of the Divine Sea. The residents who had been imprisoned and the tortured test subjects were descending, each encased within a bubble.
Israfil played her flute once more, and the Divine Sea gradually closed, returning the sky to its original state.
'…Hah.'
Simon, who had been watching in awe, was utterly speechless.
To think such power could even exist in this world.
"Ugh, seriously!"
Lete pushed away from Simon's chest with her palm and slipped free. Israfil, having eradicated the Blood Heaven Cult in a single blow, was now descending to the ground alongside the falling water droplets.
"…Lete."
"What?"
"You said that Saint was a direct junior to my mother, right? Do you think my mom could've used power like that in her prime?"
Shaking her head, her snow-white hair swayed.
"The essence of a saint changes depending on the vessel. It's true that the Saint of Miracles, Miss Anna, passed on her sacred blessing to Saint Israfil, but I've heard the abilities of the two differ."
"What was my mom's ability, then?"
"I'm not from that generation, so I don't know the details. But she was said to be the most powerful Saint of her time. From what I've heard…"
Her voice lowered to a whisper.
"…she didn't open the Divine Sea, but Heaven itself."
Israfil landed gently, bringing the prisoners down with her. When the bubbles burst, their wounds had all been perfectly healed.
The Inquisitors dropped to their knees all at once, pressing their foreheads to the ground.
"We greet the Daughter Closest to the Goddess!"
Israfil nodded with a gentle smile. Whether it was because she could not see, or for some other reason, her eyes remained closed.
BOOOOOOM!
While everyone else was prostrate, one man stood like a towering mountain, Leight. He threw the cross-shaped sword in his hand to the ground.
With that furious motion, the ground split in two, and landslides erupted all around.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
He approached, each footstep pounding the earth like a war drum.
'Ugh, Commander!'
'This guy looks like he's about to lose it.'
Several of his aides glanced up with concern in their eyes.
Grab!
Leight strode up to Israfil and, before she could offer her hand, seized it and raised it. He knelt haphazardly on one knee and kissed the back of her hand, then stood back up.
'W-what kind of reckless behavior is that?'
While it was a form of greeting, doing such a thing before a Saint—a demi-godlike being—was borderline offensive.
Yet, Israfil merely continued smiling, eyes closed.
"It's been a while, Director Leight."
"What the hell do you think you're doing."
Leight ground his teeth, practically seething with rage.
"This was a lawful inquisition carried out under a formal writ! It was a perfect opportunity to expose the entire backing and secrets behind the Blood Heaven Cult that's been threatening the Federation!"
She smiled faintly.
"There are no other backers. The Blood Heaven Cult is just the Blood Heaven Cult."
"No matter how!"
Veins popped along Leight's neck.
"Even if the Saint opposes war, this is too much! You wiped out all the evidence! You're interfering with a lawful investigation…!"
She cut him off, turning her head away.
"Come out, Lete. And your companion as well."
At her words, Lete and Simon, who had been hiding behind a tree waiting for an opening, emerged and ran forward.
"Gratula mi Kibilis. We greet the Daughter Closest to the Goddess."
Lete, unusually solemn, made the sign of the cross and bowed deeply. Simon followed her lead, though his eyes remained fixed on Leight.
'Wow, look at that killing intent. He's got eyes like he's going to tear someone apart alive.'
At this point, the fact that Israfil could stand calmly before someone radiating such murderous energy made her seem even more incredible.
After completing the formalities, Lete took a briefcase from Simon, walked five steps forward, bowed again, and knelt before the two.
"This is a document belonging to Aloken, the bishop of the Blood Heaven Cult."
She held out the briefcase respectfully with both hands.
"Well done."
Israfil smiled as she took the bag. She had destroyed the headquarters of the Blood Heaven Cult, this was now the only surviving piece of evidence.
"The future of the Holy Federation looks very bright."
Israfil seemed genuinely pleased. As she looked proudly at Lete, her gaze swept over to Simon as well, standing just behind.
"Our generation failed to do what these young ones have accomplished. I have high hopes for their time."
"…Just open it already."
Leight muttered brusquely. Truthfully, he wanted to burn that briefcase before its contents could be revealed, but in front of the Saint, he couldn't act rashly.
Israfil opened the briefcase and glanced over the document on top.
"This is quite an interesting read."
She read the contents of the document aloud in a voice as soft as a spring breeze.
"Leak information to the Inquisition, have the Inquisitor Director and war hardliner 'Leight' arrive at the scene first. Stir up aggressive public opinion against necromancers, and provoke war between the Holy Federation and the Dark Alliance."
At the blunt exposure of the plan, Leight's fists clenched tight.
"It's all clear now. The Blood Heaven Cult's goal was to incite war between the Holy Federation and the Dark Alliance. Even the Inquisitor Director was nearly used by them, right?"
"..."
Leight closed his eyes, suppressing his fury.
There was no way he could now say, "Actually, we were the ones using the Blood Heaven Cult".
Now that the Saint herself had seen the document, war was off the table. No matter how much of a mad dog he was, as the head of an organization, Leight had a duty to accept defeat and minimize damage.
Israfil was well aware of this too. Her demeanor implied that she would not pursue the Inquisition further, and that this should end here.
In the end—
"…Yes."
Though he was burning inside, the best move was to take the offered hand.
"Then you may withdraw, Director."
With the grace befitting a Saint, she folded her hands together and tilted her head slightly with a faint smile.
"I'll report directly to Her Holiness the Pontifex."
"..."
Leight eventually turned away, leading the inquisitors with heavy steps. His walk was drained of energy, but the blazing expression and chilling eyes suggested he had not given up in the slightest.
'…Somehow, I survived again today.'
Watching Leight and the inquisitors grow more distant, Simon let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
"Stand up, Lete."
Said Israfil.
Still kneeling, Lete slowly rose to her feet. When Israfil smiled kindly and opened her arms, Lete's eyes sparkled.
"Lady Israfil!"
She rushed into her arms.
It was a breach of decorum before a Saint, a demigod, but the two seemed personally close.
Israfil patted her back gently.
"I was worried when I heard you were caught up in a big incident, Lete."
Lete, with her face buried in Israfil's embrace, looked up and pouted.
"Really?"
"Of course."
"When I said I was on a train hijacked by the Blood Heaven Cult, all you said was 'hang in there'. But as soon as you heard the Cult was trying to start a war, you dropped everything and came running."
"That's because I trust in your abilities."
Israfil's eyes remained closed as she smiled. Watching from nearby, Simon briefly thought how convenient it was to have such a consistent expression.
There was a short moment where Lete whined and Israfil comforted her.
If Lete saw Anna as an absolute idol and a mother figure, then she treated Israfil like an older sister she had known since childhood.
"My cute Lete~ When will you become a Saint and play with me?"
Israfil asked while pinching Lete's cheek. Lete answered with a grin.
"When you retire, Lady Israfil! I want the Sacred Essence of Miracles!"
"Oh, you commit blasphemy like it's breakfast! I should crucify you~"
"Before that, I'll die confessing all your dark past in court."
Israfil burst into laughter, then turned her gaze toward Simon.
"Are you Lete's companion?"
"Ah, yes!"
Simon responded nervously.
"Thank you for watching over and protecting our Lete."
"O-oh, not at all! I was the one being looked after!"
"Lete, let's keep your mouth closed."
Simon smiled and bowed his head.
"Yes, I was the one indebted to her. It's a great honor to meet the Daughter Closest to the Goddess."
"I'm glad to meet you too. Your name?"
"I'm Ska Serafino."
Then, Israfil gently pulled Lete from her embrace. Without touching the ground, she drifted forward through the air and stood before Simon.
As the distance between him and the Saint vanished, a wave of tension surged through Simon.
"Priest Ska."
"Yes."
"You…"
Her eyes slowly opened for the first time, revealing a pair of deep, jet-black irises that evoked the depths of an abyss. She gazed directly at Simon.
"You resemble someone I know quite a lot."